On the job: Sister Theresa Khen, Doan Program administrator, Worcester County Catholic Charities' Refugee Resettlement Program

Monday

Feb 25, 2013 at 6:00 AMFeb 25, 2013 at 4:04 PM

"One day, a truck just showed up and they started taking the children away. All the nuns were told to leave. Most of us went back to our motherhouse. We never found out what happened to those children. We cried when the Communists took them away, because we had raised them and we cared for them. The Communists also took away our high school. They wouldn't let us teach because we were Catholic.”

Why did you become a nun?

“Many of my relatives were sisters. My aunt, for example, was the director of the orphanage in South Vietnam that I worked at. Being a sister is a way of helping people. Besides helping out at the orphanage, I also taught French, chemistry and physics at the Catholic high school in Saigon. I just love children, and being a sister brought me closer to them.”

Describe your work at the orphanage.

“There were at least 2,000 children living there. When I was at the orphanage, American soldiers were still in Vietnam. They were the fathers of many of the babies. Many of the other babies had fathers that were fighting in the army of South Vietnam. The mothers brought their children to the orphanage because they knew we would care for them. The children would get everything they needed, like food, education and shelter. The children were cared for. Every week, between five and 10 babies would be dropped off at the orphanage. Many were just left at our steps. Our jobs were difficult because we had very little money. Sometimes we just had enough to buy food and milk. The girls stayed with us until they got married or got jobs. When they were old enough, the boys went into the army.”

What happened when the Communists took over the government?

“Even before the Communists took power, life was very difficult because of all the fighting. The Communists, of course, hated the Catholic Church, and in the beginning they interfered with everything we did. After the takeover in 1975, they closed the orphanage and made it into a factory where they made things like straw hats. One day, a truck just showed up and they started taking the children away. All the nuns were told to leave. Most of us went back to our motherhouse. We never found out what happened to those children. We cried when the Communists took them away, because we had raised them and we cared for them. The Communists also took away our high school. They wouldn't let us teach because we were Catholic.”

What happened to you after the orphanage closed?

“The Communists made it very difficult for the sisters. We were shadowed everywhere we went. I could take it no longer and in 1977, I decided to leave. But I had no money. However, there was a male graduate (from the school) that helped me out. He was rather successful. In order to leave, you had to pay the owners of the boats a fare in gold. The graduate paid my way, along with his wife and three children. We spent three days on the water in a boat that was very dangerous to ride in. We were eventually picked up by a Norwegian boat. The embassy officials allowed me to come to the United States because my sister, Kim, lived in Hartford. I arrived here in April of 1978.”

What happened then?

“I was recruited by the Diocese (of Worcester) to run the resettlement program for people from Southeast Asia coming to the Worcester area. There was a belief that my experiences would help. After a year of studying their regulations and way, I also joined the Venerini Sisters. I also received a master's degree in social work from Boston University.”

What do you specifically do to help refugees?

“There are many problems they face because they are living in a fresh, new world. We help them to find housing and jobs. A big priority is education, even for the adults. Many of the professionals, like doctors and nurses, have to be retrained and certified in the United States. Going to school is very important. Refugee parents want their children to go to school to become successful. It is also very difficult for many refugees because this country's culture and way of life is very different from the societies they come from. Then they have to deal with learning a new language.”

Besides folks from Southeast Asia, what other immigrant groups have you helped?

“There are so many, but a lot of people coming to Worcester today are from Iraq, Somalia and many parts of Africa.”

Do you plan to retire?

“I don't want to retire. I like to keep busy and work. As long as I have the energy, I will continue to do so.”